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The Ties That Bind: Institutional Insights for Development Through Regionalism in the Pacific Island Countries

Howes, Michael LU (2017) EKHS21 20171
Department of Economic History
Abstract
The Pacific Island countries face a host of unique and urgent development challenges that have historically provided the impetus for pursuing various forms of regionalism. This study seeks to shed new light on these processes by examining how the low levels of institutional and governance capacity of regional actors has influenced the success of institutional development strategies within the broader process of regionalism. The study employs a historical analytic narrative, enabling connections to be made between the country experiences on the one hand, and insights from the institutional literature on the other. The findings of this narrative, as well as a survey of contemporary institutional development strategies, are then reinterpreted... (More)
The Pacific Island countries face a host of unique and urgent development challenges that have historically provided the impetus for pursuing various forms of regionalism. This study seeks to shed new light on these processes by examining how the low levels of institutional and governance capacity of regional actors has influenced the success of institutional development strategies within the broader process of regionalism. The study employs a historical analytic narrative, enabling connections to be made between the country experiences on the one hand, and insights from the institutional literature on the other. The findings of this narrative, as well as a survey of contemporary institutional development strategies, are then reinterpreted through a theoretical framework inspired by Boettke, Coyne and Leeson (2008) reflecting recent understandings of how institutional change is influenced by a society’s deeply-rooted institutional context. Together, they demonstrate how the success of development initiatives within the broader process of regionalism is likely contingent upon an appropriate consideration of how they reflect the motivations and preferences of local actors, and respect the role of indigenous institutions. Conversely, the imposition of further top-down institutional change may have the effect of expending scarce resources without the desired improvements in development outcomes. (Less)
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author
Howes, Michael LU
supervisor
organization
course
EKHS21 20171
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Pacific Island countries, economic development, regionalism, institutions, governance
language
English
id
8918032
date added to LUP
2017-06-29 13:47:14
date last changed
2017-06-29 13:47:14
@misc{8918032,
  abstract     = {{The Pacific Island countries face a host of unique and urgent development challenges that have historically provided the impetus for pursuing various forms of regionalism. This study seeks to shed new light on these processes by examining how the low levels of institutional and governance capacity of regional actors has influenced the success of institutional development strategies within the broader process of regionalism. The study employs a historical analytic narrative, enabling connections to be made between the country experiences on the one hand, and insights from the institutional literature on the other. The findings of this narrative, as well as a survey of contemporary institutional development strategies, are then reinterpreted through a theoretical framework inspired by Boettke, Coyne and Leeson (2008) reflecting recent understandings of how institutional change is influenced by a society’s deeply-rooted institutional context. Together, they demonstrate how the success of development initiatives within the broader process of regionalism is likely contingent upon an appropriate consideration of how they reflect the motivations and preferences of local actors, and respect the role of indigenous institutions. Conversely, the imposition of further top-down institutional change may have the effect of expending scarce resources without the desired improvements in development outcomes.}},
  author       = {{Howes, Michael}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Ties That Bind: Institutional Insights for Development Through Regionalism in the Pacific Island Countries}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}